


The Things I've Learned from a Broken Mirror

by MrsNoraPalmer



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, darhatom baby, four part, unrelated to 25 days of darhkatom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-06 22:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16841248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsNoraPalmer/pseuds/MrsNoraPalmer
Summary: An anachronism turns up in Central City 2019 that doesn't seem like an anachronism at first, until Gideon shows them that this "anachronism" is toting around Damien Darhk's time stone. Who is she? What is she doing in 2019, far away from home?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I was honestly really hesitant to post this because I wasn't sure how the fandom would be receptive to a Darhkatom baby fic this early in the ship but from those that already sort of knew about it they seemed receptive. Big big thanks to Sophie for reading through this and being all around awesome and supportive about this. Please after reading this go check out her darhkatom fanfiction! She's here under the name timetravelingpalmer!

“Gideon what is our anachronism this time?” Sara saddled up the control center and pressed a few buttons.

Gideon appeared. “It would seem that there is a new vigilante in Central City, she goes by the name Atomic Witch. She is seemingly unstoppable.”

Sara sighed. “Which is what I’m assuming makes her dangerous.”

“Correct, Captain Lance, even the vigilantes there haven’t been able to reason with her for an alliance.”

“So we got an anti-hero that beats up the bad guys but refuses to align herself with the good guys. Good thing we have plenty of those on this team. We might be able to reason with her. Or if anything recruit her. But Gideon, why is she an anachronism?”

“I did facial recognitions scans of her worldwide going back ten years and there is no record of her. But, I found this around her neck in one of the photos.” A photo appeared and was cropped to only show what Gideon was talking about.”

Everyone leaned in and Sara looked around. “Where are Ray and Nora?”

Zari looked and noticed neither were present. “I guess they’re not here. Are we going to pretend like we didn’t notice Ray wasn’t here again?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Sara smacked her hand on the panel. “Someone go find them. Tell them someone from another point in time has Damien Darhk’s time stone. And ask how in the world someone could get their hands on it.”

xxxx

Nora back was starting to throb from being pressed up against the bedroom door. The doorknob dug into her hip but she almost couldn’t care. Ever since she and Ray got married they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Ray picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He dropped her on the bed but she rolled them over so she was on top. Her hair fell like a curtain around them and she continued kissing him. 

Suddenly the door swung open and Nora snapped her head around to see who had interrupted them. Zari. She sighed, completely exasperated.

“What?!” Nora seethed.

Zari put her hands over her eyes, which had been completely unnecessary since Nora and Ray were still fully clothed, just in pajamas. “We found an anachronism and the reason we think she’s one is because she has your father’s time stone.” 

Nora scrambled to get off the bed and so did Ray. “What? That’s not possible? I have my father’s time stone. Mine broke in Berlin so there’s only one in existence.” She pulled the stone from their bedside drawer and presented it to Zari.

“Well she’s got one and wears it like a piece of jewelry.” Zari shrugged. “Come see for yourself.”

“Zari, it can’t be the same stone. Not because I have it but only because a Darhk can use it.” Nora placed the stone back in the drawer and grabbed her robe. Ray did the same. 

“Maybe she’s got something similar like how mine and Amaya’s totems are linked but we’re not related.”

The Palmers followed Zari into the command center and they adverted everyone’s gaze given their disheveled appearance. 

“Nice of you to join us, Palmers. Care to tell us why someone has Damien Darhk’s time stone in Central City 2019?” Sara pointed at the picture Gideon was still displaying.

Nora shook her head. “Like I told Zari. I still have the stone. Mine broke in Berlin when my father and I kidnapped Ray. And on top of all of that even if she’s from a time in the future where she steals it from me, which would be so unlikely, only a Darhk can wield the stone. And I’m the only one left.”

“That you know of.” Mick grunted and took a swig of his beer.

Nora looked at him, nearing murder in her eyes. “What does that mean, Mick?”

“Means Damien Darhk might have sired you a sister out there and didn’t you or your pretty mother.”

“You think my father cheated on my mother and someone gave birth to her and now she’s stolen a time stone from me in the future to what? Erase me from existence? Well she needs to go back to about 2003 to do that.” Nora crossed her arms across her chest. 

Mick shrugged. “I mean I wouldn’t put it past him. Men want what they want.”

Nora took a step forward, ready to turn Mick into a pig but Ray caught her arm. 

“Mick, knock it off. Nora, it might be possible. We can’t rule that out but it’s also possible like Zari suggested that it’s just another time stone that someone else created that looks similar enough to it. If we get our hands on her time stone we can figure all of this out.”

Nora pulled her arm away from Ray’s grasp but took no further steps towards Mick. “You’re right and Zari’s right. Sorry, Mick. Let’s start with one of those theories and head to Central City 2019, okay? Ray and I will go get ready.”

xxxx

“You’ve been quiet pretty much the whole time we’ve been getting ready.” Ray looked up at his wife after tying his shoelace then switched to the other boot.

Nora ran her hand through her hair to pull it away from her face. “Yeah well when a time traveling vigilante basically presents the possibility that I have a half sister I didn’t know about which means my father cheated on my mother, and that’s the most likely explanation to her identity, I’m sulking in my thoughts. I’m pissed. I’m pissed at my dad, I’m pissed at Mick’s comment. When will I stop fighting my dad’s ghosts. It never ends. Somehow at least one mission a week seems to have loose ties to something terrible he did. I have tried so hard to leave the Darhk legacy in the dark frankly. I stopped using magic for evil, I took your last name when we got married. And yet here is something else that makes me realize just how little I’ve changed.”

Ray’s brows furrowed and he walked over to Nora. He gently took her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. “Any actions your father did don’t have anything to do with you. If you want sit this mission out because you don’t want to deal with another one of your dad’s ghosts, we all will understand. And if they don’t, I’ll make them. You, Nora Eleanor Palmer, have grown so much as a person. I love you so deeply and have loved seeing you grow into the beautiful and kind woman that stands before me. I’ve seen all the change in you for the better. Believe me.”

“I just… I know my dad did some terrible stuff and I could even deal with someone that he turned into something terrible coming after me but he wasn’t a terrible person to my mom. She wasn’t the greatest person in the world either and that was part what made them work. So of all the things I can imagine and have seen him do, cheating on her isn’t one of them.” She rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. 

“Maybe there’s another explanation. There has to be. I think you’re right. And the Legends will see that.”

xxxx

When they landed in 2019, their first stop was CCPD. Sara and Ray went in given their connection to Barry through Oliver and Nora went with them because she wasn’t sure if she could be left near Mick unsupervised. 

Barry met up with them and gave them the rundown of what they had so far on this Atomic Witch. Team Flash had tried to make an alliance with her. She had first come on their radar because her magic was yellow and she wore dark blues and reds so they had almost mistaken her for the Flash in an incredibly blurry photo or two. Succeeding photos showed her longer hair and skirt and leather jacket. And most importantly of all, her time stone proudly wrapped in twine, sitting on her neck like a necklace. 

Nora studied the picture and ran her finger over the tunes in the photo. “There is no way this is someone else’s time stone. The runes are the exact same and this rune here makes it so only a Darhk can use it.”

Ray stared at the pictures for a minute then offered a theory. “Maybe she’s from a time where your father is alive and has two, like a spare and when he eventually gets this one back, then gives you the spare which is the one you broke in Berlin.”

Nora sighed. “Maybe? But that still wouldn’t explain how she ended up here. My father has been dead for two years in this time. So she didn’t get it from the him that would’ve been alive at this time. Unless she forced him to use but given how powerful my father was by the time he had these, that completely unlikely. I think we just need to face it. I have a half sister and I will eventually need to process that on a level that is not relevant to tracking her down.”

“Maybe, maybe not, if you guys are related maybe there’s a way to track her.” 

Sara snapped her fingers thinking of something, “if we shed her blood, we might get some answers. One way or another.”

“Sara, you’re not going to kill her.” Nora demanded. 

“I’m not going to kill, I’m going to like bust her lip or cut her hand. Don’t worry. I have self control.” Sara held up her hands in defense.

“Good. Okay let’s re-group at STAR Labs and when she shows up in Central City tonight we’ll be there,” Nora offered.

They were about to leave when Barry caught Nora’s arm. “Hey, so, I have a friend who found out his sister was actually his half sister. I know that’s not exactly the same but he did have to process through some stuff with his parents. His dad was gone but his mom, who was the one that cheated was still alive and so there were a lot of questions I’m sure he processed through and if you ever need to talk to someone I’m sure I could connect you guys. Just a thought.”

Nora nodded and smiled sadly at Barry. “Maybe. One day. I appreciate the offer though, right now we have more pressing matters.”

xxxx

Like coffee apparently. The Legends all held up at one booth in Jitters. Nora and Ray were smiling like a pair of idiots, which was a good distraction for Nora, remembering their first date at a table they could see from their line of sight. Zari rolled her eyes at the pair and stole some of Mick’s pastry when he was checking out a barista and Sara was talking with Ava about something in hushed tones, glancing over at Ray and Nora nervously.

Nora noticed the odd behavior of the couple and cleared her throat. “Is something wrong, Sara? Ava? Saying some crap about my dad or is this refreshingly not about him?”

“Nora…” Ray warned.

“It’s not about your dad. We’re just processing some of the details that have presented to us in a different way than we have before and see how it lines up.”  
Nora crossed her arms across her chest. “Okay, yeah in what is this not about my dad?”

“It’s too early to tell. But if what think becomes relevant we’ll tell you guys. No need to send people off on wild goose chases. But I promise this is not about your dad and given his and I’s history, you should take my word for it when I’m not trying to smear his name.”

Nora relaxed back into her chair. “Fine. But if I find out you were lying…”

“I know, I’ll be counting my lucky stars you’re no longer possessed by a demon.” She held her hands up.

“Exactly.”

xxxx

Night fell at STAR labs and it was suddenly more cramped than anyone had probably ever thought it would be. Cisco and Ray were talking about nerd tech so Nora was sitting when them, trying to distract herself by listening to her man nerd out with a friend. She watched as Iris and Sara and Ava combed through information on the different monitor screens until Iris’s face grew concerned. “Guys, the old ship yard. The surveillance cameras make it look like lightening. Barry, are you sure that’s at least not a speedster?”

Barry came to look at the monitor and Nora followed, intent on getting a good look at her supposed half sister in her Darhk glory.

“That’s the thing, it looks like lightning but we’re so sure it’s magic.” He pointed at the screen. 

Nora nodded. “That’s magic alright, mine did the same thing except it’s purple not yellow. When I was you know, Mallus’s vessel, it’s still purple but doesn’t look that violent anymore.”

Sara looked around the room. “Well, team, I guess we need to all suit up."

xxxx

Nora was thankful no one had ever talked her into much of a costume. Ray had his ATOM suit which was necessary and the whole point of him being super, Nate had had his suit as a homage to his grandfather, Zari caved and had one and secretly loved it. Sara had one from the get go, but Nora went for simply a bulletproof leather jacket with some weird enhanced fibers in the tank top and leather pants she wore as well. Ray’s invention, she had literally no idea what went into it but it had been a really unproductive day when he had to get all of her measurements. They had just kept getting distracted and making out.

When they got to the docks, initially they didn’t see anyone. Until a bunch of seamen came screaming from around a container. A figure flew herself with magic to the top and then lowered herself down. 

“It’s not very nice to scare people, what could they have possibly been doing that you needed to do that?” Sara asked.

“Sex trafficking. Now I normally wouldn’t ask for help but there’s a bunch of people in these three containers. If you could help release them then be on your way the job would get done faster.”

Barry took the opportunity to zip by the three containers and open the doors. Women and children flooded out and in the chaos Nora gathered some in a cluster and directed them towards safety. She tried to look around for her half sister to ask about the time stone but she couldn’t see her. And then just like that, Sara was calling everyone to fall back to star labs and the witch was gone.

xxxx

Nora would almost call it sulking if she didn’t also carry with her that they helped hundreds of women and children break free from sex trafficking. The seamen had been arrested and the women and children who were stateside were being reunited with their families almost immediately. 

But in all the chaos they lost her half sister and they were now back to square one.

“Sorry guys, I mean what we did was great, amazing. But we do still have big question marks over Atomic Witch.”

“Not necessarily.” Sara held up her hand, which looked like it had been cut and was drying. 

Ava grabbed Sara’s hand. “It’s not cut…”

“No but our witch’s hand is. Think you guys can get any sample from this?”

Caitlin immediately got a kit and started to swab. “I think this might be enough. If it’s related to anyone in our system, it’ll tell us.” She glanced over at Nora, knowing that once he results came back it would solidify her father’s betrayal.

Nora leaned into Ray who wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head. “How did you get it?” Nora asked. 

“I found her in the fray and got her to shake my hand with a knife in it. I wasn’t sure it would work but it did. She acted like she knew me.”

Nora nodded. “Listen Sara, if she is my half sister, I’m sorry the ghosts of my father still come up with way to terrorize us both.”

Sara shrugged. “She’s not doing anything wrong. She was freeing people from sex trafficking. Maybe she’s not evil. Just like you’re not. Maybe she’s from an earth or timeline where you guys were raised together or Oliver didn’t kill your parents when he did and they went on to have her. The possibilities are literally endless with this team, remember that.”

Caitlin popped her head up from her computer, “I would hold onto that last sentiment, Sara. I think there’s a third option no one has considered and it’s not an option anymore it’s a fact.”  
“And what fact would that be, Dr. Snow?” Sara crossed her arms over her chest.

Nora started to sigh with relief. Maybe her father hadn’t betrayed her mom. Maybe this woman wasn’t her half sister. She may have found a loophole to be able to use the time stone and not be a Darhk.

“She’s definitely half of a Darhk, but she’s not half of Damien Darhk. She’s half Nora Darhk, half Ray Palmer.” 

xxxx

“She... what?” Nora nearly blacked out at hearing Caitlin’s findings. She leaned back into her husband for physical support.

“According to this, and we have all of our associates DNA on file, half of the sequences of the blood sample come from Nora Darhk and half of them come from Ray Palmer. Which would make her…”

“Our daughter…” Nora muttered. “This is so weird…”

“Welp, didn’t see that one coming.” Mick said and took a sip of his beer.

Nora started breathing heavy, her mind raced with all of the possibilities of why her daughter who definitely was not even in existence yet in her womb, was here as an adult in 2019.

Barry gestured to them. “This happened with me and Iris. I think we can help.”

Ray and Nora shared a look and then looked at Barry and Iris.

“I think I need to sit down.” Nora said before her whole world going black.

xxxx

Bright lights greeted her when she opened her eyes. Ray’s face was the next thing she saw. She cupped his cheek and looked over at Dr. Snow, who was checking Nora’s vitals on the screen.

“Good, you’re awake. You had a panic attack and then you fainted. The shock was probably just too much.”

“Am I like pregnant or something? Is that why she’s here? Is this some sort of weird time travel thing that’s interacting with my pregnancy and causing this?”

Nora’s blood pressure began to rise as she rambled but Ray placed a comforting hand on her arm.

“No, you’re not pregnant at all.” Relief filled Nora’s body. This wasn’t her fault. She would love to have Ray Palmer’s babies one day but it wasn’t today and it certainly wasn’t before they finish dealing with their daughter from the future.

“Atomic. Witch.” Nora muttered. She couldn’t believe how obvious it was. “Atomic. Witch,” she said a little louder this time. “I think the biggest failure of this team, myself included, is not seeing how obvious of a clue that was.” Nora pressed her palm to her forehead and sighed. “Her magic is yellow because she must use technology with her magic, it’s changed it somehow.”

“Right… yeah… sorry still processing we have a daughter at all much less one that has your magic. But I mean that’s really cool I guess? I’m sorry, I’m sucking at processing right now. You fainted and we both found out and…” Nora placed a finger over Ray’s lips. 

“It’s okay. I think I’m okay now. I can process without being hooked up to all these monitors.”

Caitlin nodded in agreement. “Let me unhook everything and you’re free to head back with your team. I would keep an eye on your blood pressure though, since you still have so much adrenaline in your body from the shock but you should be fine.”

Nora smiled in thanks and waited for Caitlin to okay her.

Everyone walked back to the Waverider in near silence. Ray and Nora were both silently processing the news at lightning speeds. They had a daughter who was a superhero in 2019 but was a lone wolf superhero who didn’t seem to place nice with others. What was she doing here? Did the older versions of Nora and Ray even know she was gone? How old is she? When is she born? What is her name?

Nora sucked in a breath. “Ray we don’t even know her name. We met our daughter and we don’t even know her name,” she whispered. Tears pricked her eyes. She was having an emotional reaction to a person who doesn’t even technically exist yet but there she was. A miraculous testament to her’s and Ray’s love.

Ray pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. “We’ll find her and get all of these answers. The first being her name.”

“I think I can help with that.” Gideon said and projected above the console. “In late 2020 you and Mrs. Palmer give birth to a little girl named Victoria Eleanor Palmer, you proceeded to have three more children each a year apart from the last.” 

Nora’s face grew read. Four in four. She hadn’t told anyone about her four in four fantasy. 

Mick clapped Ray on the shoulder. “Damn, Haircut, you’re potent.”

“Mick…” Zari made a disgusted face. 

“Anyway,” Sara tried to refocus the discussion. “Gideon, if you knew this why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

“I had insufficient data to warrant going through Dr. and Mrs. Palmer’s personal futures. It is an invasion of privacy.”

“Gideon thanks for the courtesy but the one we’re dealing with is our first born right?” Ray asked. “Victoria. We name our daughter Victoria.”

Nora raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with Victoria? I like it?”

“Nothing is wrong with it. I like it too.” Ray shrugged.

“Great, you guys won’t have to argue over her name when you actually knock her up, how does this help us?” Zari asked. 

“Well part of why she is anachronism is because disappearing from her timeline it seems causes all of Central City to be destroyed by a monster she was supposed to fight.”

“Do we know what monster? Or how long she’s been active?” Nora asked.

“Atomic Witch was first cited as such in 2036. She saved Palmer Tech tower from collapsing in on itself due to an explosion on the 12th floor.”

“That would’ve made her sixteen. There is no way in hell we would’ve let her suit up that young.”

“I’m afraid you don’t get to tell she can’t. You and Dr. Palmer disappear sometime in 2035, she is placed with her godparents, Sara and Ava Sharpe.”

Sara and Ava share a look and cough awkwardly and step apart for a moment. “Sorry I guess we train her a little too well?”

“You let me my daughter suit up at the age of sixteen, are you stupid?!” Nora’s blood pressure was rising again and she tried to calm herself down.

“Sorry, yell at future me not current me! I’ll try not to do that!” Sara covered her face.

Nora took deep breaths. “I think I know why we disappeared.”

xxxx

“When I was given my assignment by the Order to go back in time and resurrect my father, it was roughly 2038 but by 2035, I was out and about and gathering intel about what was necessary to resurrect my father. I think we disappeared so we couldn’t run into that version of myself who from my standpoint was only four years ago.” Nora said as she drew on a see thru whiteboard visually demonstrating what she was saying.

“Why didn’t we take her with us?” Ray asked, not believing he would leave his fifteen year old behind.

“That I don’t have an answer for but this version of me, that knows this, isn’t leaving our daughter behind. She’s only two years older than me when I lost my parents. I remember what that was like. The human pain I felt. I’m not going to put her through that.” Nora sat the marker down and clutched at the necklace Ray had given her for her birthday.

“Gideon, is there any record we took the other three children with us?” Ray asked.

“No, your other three children were also placed with the Sharpes.”

Ray slammed his fist into the arm of his chair. “I would never just leave my kids behind. I think that Nora, you’re onto something. But why would leave everyone behind? Why wouldn’t just move to another city until you travel back to Victorian London to resurrect your dad and then the rest is history and you’d be the current Nora living her life out. All we know is that our 20 year old daughter is back here, using the time stone for something and acting like a vigilante but is probably pissed at us for being gone for the past five years so maybe she’s got a vendetta or something. But to do what? She’s doing good in Central City. Is she just running away from her problems.”

Nora looked at her husband. “If she’s anything like me, that’s exactly what she’s doing. If I hadn’t had your support, I would’ve just been jumping through time, helping where I can but mostly staying hidden. You helped me see that the right way to do this was redemption. Facing my problems. She hasn’t had Ray Palmer to help her face her problems in five years. She’s running away and we need to help her.”

xxxx

“Okay, Barry, you’re going to try and go up to her and strike an alliance, I know she’s been resistant before but I think if once she starts to turn you down, that’s where Sara comes in. Except you act like Aunt Sara instead. You act like you know her, like you’ve been the Sara Lance-Sharpe taking care of my daughter for the past five years. You convince her it’s a good idea and then you knock her out cold and bring her back to the Waverider.” Nora continued delving out assignments until everyone dispersed at STAR Labs. Ray came up to her and and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Do you know hot that was?”

“What?”

“Seeing you take charge like that, give out assignments. That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.” Ray leaned in and kissed his wife.

Nora blushed. “Sara and I talked about it and given that it’s our daughter and probably Sara’s oversight that are the reason we’re here, I got to take the reins in making the game plan. But I am enjoying that you think it’s really sexy.” She nudged him playfully. “Later, tiger, we have a daughter to talk to.”

The plan went smoothly, which was highly unlikely for the Legends but they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. They thought it would be best to keep her sedated and bring her into her and Ray’s room rather than expose her to the harsh lights of the medbay and only frighten her more.

Nora and Ray watched their daughter sleep, it was so strange. She wore a leather jacket that looked a lot like Ray’s and a red skirt to match the red in the jacket along with tights and boots. They studied her features, trying to pick out which of their noses she had or whose jawline or bone structure or hands or birthmarks, etc…

“I think she’s gonna have your eyes.” Ray murmured.

“What? You have a dominant eye color, I don’t.”

“Your eyes are gray and they’re rare and it would a travesty if she didn’t have your eyes.”

“When I look at my eyes I see my father and the murder in his eyes, so I would really like for her to have your soft puppy dog brown eyes.”

“I guess we’ll have to see when she wakes up.” He smirked and kissed her cheek.

Victoria started to stir and then jolted awake. “Where am I?”

“You’re on the Waverider, do you know what that is?”

“Of course I know… oh my gosh, get away from me!” Victoria’s hand started glowing a bright yellow.

“Victoria… it’s us… your parents. We’re your parents. I promise we’re really your parents. Well we haven’t personally had you yet but we’re them. You’re on the Waverider in 2019 because we got an anachronism alert and it was you.” Nora slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. Victoria lowered her hands but scooted away from Nora.

“What am I doing here? Why am I seeing you guys. It’s not fair.”

Nora and Ray shared a look. “Why is it not fair that you’re seeing us, Victoria?” Ray asked.

“Because you guys are dead. Something called the Order… they took you out, I never figured out why, if Aunt Sara and Aunt Ava know they aren’t telling me. Me and Sydney and Daniel and Penny all went to live with them after you guys died but they had to make it look like a disappearance for some reason and I didn’t want lose any of my siblings so I just let them do that.”

Nora balled her hand into a fist. “They must’ve killed us because I was out and about in the world gathering intel on how to resurrect my father and they didn’t want us finding that version of me and trying to change her future.” She looked back at her daughter, their daughter. She cupped her face. “Victoria, I’m sorry that you lost us like I lost my parents but know this, since you told us that we are going to do everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen. You are going up with us. I promise. You and your siblings deserve that. Now, onto the bigger issue at hand. Our daughter the twenty year old superhero. Why did you run away to 2019 instead of fighting the monster you were up against?”

“I just felt like I couldn’t do it anymore. Aunt Ava and Aunt Sara trained me well in combat and gave me all of dad’s old files but I still felt like such a failure. You had trained some to at least manage my powers but using them even as a force for good I saw their weaknesses, I saw where you didn’t have the chance to train and I saw that those weaknesses overlapped with reason why I couldn’t defeat him. Honestly the details aren’t that important but I’m not strong enough. That’s the bottom line.”

Nora pulled her daughter in for a hug. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say other than I’m sorry but maybe we can try and train you some and then you really need to go back to 2040. I’m sorry that you’ll be going back to a timeline where aren’t there but we are going to try and fix that once you do go back.”

“Mom, you’re not in the right time, why do I have to go back? What makes you staying okay but me not? Can’t I just stay here with you guys?”

“No, because if you don’t go back, all of Central City will be destroyed by whoever you’re fighting.”

Victoria swore under her breath. Ray almost released the urge to tell her to watch her language but he refrained. He’d have plenty of opportunities when he was actually raising her. “Okay, train me and then send me back to 2040 to send the bastard straight to hell.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deepest gratitude and forever thanks to soph aka timetravelingpalmer for reading through this! You're the best!

They arranged for a cot to be brought into their bedroom and Nora loaned Victoria some of her pajamas. Victoria smiled softly when she took them.

“What?”

“Nothing… sometimes when I was kid you’d let me wear your nightgowns, this just reminds of that is all.” She went to the bathroom to change into pajamas, grateful to be out of her suit for the first time in two days.

When she returned her parents were making up the cot for her and didn’t really say much. What do you say to your daughter from the future since she’s not even born yet so you have no frame of reference to even talk to her?

Victoria sat down on her parents bed and waved them off. “You don’t have to do that. I can make it myself.”

“No, we want to. It’s okay.” Nora finished making the bed and turned around. “Okay so… do you need us to get you anything else? Otherwise we’re gonna head to bed if that’s okay with you.”

Victoria got up from her parents bed and hugged them both. It felt so good to hug them again. She had been suppressing all the emotion she had been feeling about seeing her parents alive and in person for the first time in five years and instead tried to put it in to the hugs she gave them. There was also no use in getting attached to idea of them being around because she would return to 2040 where she would have to be stronger and be better than him, to defeat him once and for all.

She settled down onto the cot and pulled the covers over her. The smell overwhelmed her. Her parents. They had used extra blankets they kept in their room and she was engulfed by a scent she hadn’t relished in, in five years, ever since her parents stuff stopped smelling like them. She wore the hell out of her mother’s leather jacket and soon enough it stopped smelling like her. After that she didn’t wear it for a month, but to no surprise at all, when she picked it back up, it still smelled like her and not her mother.

The scent of the sheets was enough to make her fall sound asleep.

Victoria awoke some time later but it didn’t feel like near as much time as it should’ve been. She heard shuffling on the bed and lifted her head to see what was going on. Her dad was hovering over her mom, trying to coax her out of sleep. He kept saying “Nora, it’s just a dream, you’re just having a nightmare.”

Victoria sprung to action, coming to their bedside. “Mom… wake up it’s me… you’re okay. Dad and I are here, you’re safe.” Nora’s eyes shot open and she sat up in the bed.

“What… where am I?” Nora found Ray’s gaze first and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“You were having a bad dream, we were trying to wake you up.”

“We?…” Nora looked over at Victoria who looked terrified for her mother. Nora broke away from Ray to pull Victoria in for a hug. “Thank you, thank you both for being there for me.”

“That’s what families do.” Victoria smiled.

xxxx

“Okay, when your father comes around the corner you need to deflect his blast.” Nora watched nervously as her husband circled their daughter in a training exercise to help keep her and her magic on their toes.

Ray fired off a blast and Victoria easily deflected it, she continued to do so and eventually telekinetically was able to throw her father across the room.

Nora didn’t know whether to be proud or scared at how powerful her daughter was. It was a marvel to watch her, she had excellent control, was always calculated in her moves but quick to think.

“Okay, now we’re going to use some of the cardboard cutout targets.” Ray flew to Nora’s side and pressed a button in the small command center in the training room.

Targets popped up at random and Victoria knew exactly what to do with each of them. Nora nudged her husband. “She’s amazing, I don’t know where she learned how to do all of that.”

“You don’t? Are you sure? Look at her! You taught her all of that. You must have. Constantine is a terrible teacher, you learned more by meditating and studying and practicing on me than you ever did learning silly incantations from Constantine. You must have taken a similar approach with our daughter.” Ray removed his helmet and gave Nora a kiss.

When Victoria finished, Nora and Ray approached their daughter. “That was spectacular. I really don’t know what else to teach you. You look even beyond my capabilities right now.”

“It was good to exercise my powers without the fear of harming innocents, it helped me with self control.” Victoria smiled. “I do wish I had the confidence in myself that you have in me. Taking him down won’t be easy but if you’re running out of things to teach me I know I’ve gotten stronger.”

“And getting stronger drums up an appetite. Come on, your dad said he’d make us lunch and actually make it somewhat edible.” Nora wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders and led her to the galley.

xxxx

“For the last time I am not trying your veggie pizza. It’s made of… gosh what did you put in that? It smells awful!” Victoria waved her hand in front of her nose and picked up a handful of mozzarella cheese and dumped it into her mouth.

Nora shook her head. “Victoria, we need that for our pizza!”

“It was just a small handful, mom, don’t worry.”

“Ah yes, Miss Palmer, please a-sit back and a-let me make your pizza.” Ray said in the worst imitation of an Italian accent.

Both Palmer women laughed at Ray.

“Why in the world is he talking like Luigi?” Victoria asked. “What brought that on?”

Nora covered her mouth to not laugh too loudly. “Yeah, Ray, why does Luigi seem to be a common theme for you?” Nora raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Oh you mean the mustache thing, don’t you.” Ray suddenly looked overcome with regret.

Victoria looked between her parents. “What… what mustache thing?”

“When I was in time prison, you know about that right?” She saw Victoria nod. “Okay, good, anyways when I was in time prison your dad and I would letters to each other.”

“Oh yeah! I knew that! I have both sets of your guys’ letters. I don’t like read them or anything but I like having them.”

Nora was touched at her daughter’s level of sentimentality. So much like Ray. “Right well… in one of them I wanted to basically test just how in love he already was with me, cause I was already pretty in love with him by that point, and I said I had a thing for guys with mustaches. So your dad grew a mustache for me.”

Victoria busted out laughing. “He what?!”

Nora held up a finger. “Oh no, that’s not all. So he grows it by having Gideon stimulate his hair follicles so it grows overnight and then he’s trimming it and the power goes out on the Waverider and he ends up shaving it off. Well, long story short, time sort of breaks as it does about every six months for us and after it’s all corrected, he shaves the other half, regrows it, and then comes to see me in time prison. I laugh my ass off at him and am also super shocked that he actually did it.”

Victoria took in all the information and was almost too shocked to laugh. “Wow, dad, you’re whipped.”

“I am not!”

“Yeah, you are.”

“You are, honey,” Nora winked at him and popped an olive in her mouth. “Did I ever tell you it was Ava’s idea to put that in the letter?”

“No and now it makes sense why she wasn’t as surprised to see it as Sara was…”

“Go Aunt Ava!” Victoria cheered.

“All you guys really suck right now.” Ray sulked and continued making their pizza.

“But we love you.” The Palmer women pouted and leaned their heads on each other’s.

“Sure you do.”

xxxx

That night Nora couldn’t sleep. She and Ray stayed up late, holding each other watching their adult daughter sleep on the cot just next to their bed. Nora tried to imagine what it would be like, in just over a year, watching their daughter, this daughter, breathe quietly as she slept in her crib instead. She knew it would only be a few months before she fell pregnant but something wouldn’t leave her alone about all the information she had acquired since Victoria had shown up. For at least the next fifteen or so years, she had a good life, and she meant a good life with Ray.

The thought seemed almost alien to her that her life could be filled with that much happiness. She had to see it for herself. Slowly, she moved Ray’s arm from around her waist and tiptoed past her daughter asleep on the cot and went to the galley. It was always easier to process these kind of things when she had something to stir. She made hot chocolate with caramel drizzle and went to the library. She faced the computer screen and leaned against the desk.

“Gideon, can you show me… my future, Ray’s and I’s future? Victoria’s past I guess. Pictures… newspaper clippings… anything you can find.” She swallowed hard, not sure she was prepared for what Gideon would display.

It started out with a picture of her and Ray holding one of the smallest bundles. It looked like the closer future so it was probably Victoria. She watched as photos scrolled across the screen, each photo seemingly adding a new little Palmer and she was suddenly embarrassed that in this timeline she had convinced Ray to follow through with her four in four plan that she had gotten in her head when she was ten. Their children were all beautiful. She could see pieces of her and Ray in each of them. She put together who had what feature from which parent like the world’s best puzzle. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and stirred it as photos continued to filter by.

School pictures of each of their children started to scroll by her, they were getting older now. Her youngest was now as old as Victoria was when she lost them. It didn’t seem right. These beautiful, wonderful children have spent the last five years without their parents and it wasn’t fair. Her heart ached. She wanted to go into the jumpship right now and hug each of them, remind them that everything would be okay. She would fix everything soon. Because she would.

“That’s my least favorite school picture but you said it was your favorite.”

Nora jumped when she heard her daughter’s voice. She sat down her mug of hot chocolate and noticed Victoria had grabbed one of her own.

Nora looked over at the computer and Gideon had stopped the collection of pictures on the one Victoria had mentioned. Victoria couldn’t be more than 12 in the photo. Nora wasn’t even sure what grade that was. The Order provided her with private tutors so that she wouldn’t be uneducated in the real world between finding out how to resurrect her father and releasing Mallus but normal grade school was so long ago for her.

“I think you do look beautiful. A lot like your father.”

“Dad had said I looked like you. It’s probably the hair though.”

“I think you’re a pretty good mix of both of us. Is that hot…”

“Chocolate with caramel drizzle?” They finished the sentence together and share a smile.

“Yeah… it is… that’s my favorite I don’t mind sharing with you.”

Nora gestured to the sofa. “Do you want to sit?”

Victoria nodded and they sat cross-legged in front of each other.

Nora kept her gaze in her drink. “I’m sorry if this is weird to you. Seeing us like this.”

“I like it… dad would always talk about your story as if it were a fairytale and to see it, just a little bit earlier than what I have memories of is kind of cool. I’m pretty sure he thinks you hang the moon.”

Nora laughed. “That wouldn’t surprise me but your father believed in me when no one else did. He’s the spectacular one. I’m sorry you haven’t had five years of Ray Palmer hope speeches and I can’t help but feel responsible.”

“What? No, mom… don’t… it’s not your fault.”

“The Order… the cult… that despicable organization had us killed because a different version of me was roaming around at the same time, except she was evil and still possessed by a time demon. She hadn’t even met Ray Palmer yet. So there was no sliver of hope to worm its way into her humanity. She was completely hollow filled only by a demon. And the fact that there was a demon free, happy, hopeful, version of me running around at the same time, it was too much of a risk.” Nora gripped her mug, hard, sure if it had been metal it would have left imprints.

Victoria placed her hand on her mother’s wrist. “Mom…”

Victoria had said it before, but the way she said it like that, allowed it to finally cement that she was someone’s mother.

“Victoria…”

“Mom… this is not your fault, but why did you guys never move?”

“You’re asking the wrong me but I wouldn’t mind moving somewhere or somewhere else in time until the timeline catches up with itself.” She was going to say something else when she heard footsteps down the hallway.

Suddenly Ray burst into the library, looking frantic. “I woke up and my girls were gone.”

Nora and Victoria shared a look. “Well we’re right here,” Nora said. “Just having some hot chocolate and talking.”

Ray saw the picture of Victoria on the computer screen and walked up to it. “You look as beautiful as your mom.”

Victoria chuckled and looked at Nora. “That’s exactly what he said when we got the proofs in the mail.”

“Nice to know I didn’t change much.” He grinned. He took a seat next to Nora and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Victoria smiled sadly at her parents and Nora nudged her with her foot. “What’s that face for, Victoria?”

“Tori… you guys call me Tori… and that was not why I made the face. I just… we never all sat together like this. It makes me miss you guys more but also I’m not sure where to put that emotion because you guys are right here but I still miss you.”

Nora took her daughter’s hand. “I wish I had an answer for you but this time travel stuff messes with my head enough. I’m sure if we had been around your dad would have been able to give you more guidance.”

“Mom…”

“No, I’m serious. He helped me become a better person. Not just become what was left to develop once I was no longer possessed but he literally believed in me from day one. You haven’t had his amazing speeches for five years and I’m sorry.”

Victoria shook her head. “Mom… dad, yes, always gave me that extra bit of confidence, when I was going to ride a bike without training wheels or ride the bus for the first time or make a new friend but your absence has left just as much of a gaping hole in my life. You made just as big of an impact on me. What I do is because of dad, how I do it is because of you. You trained me to handle my powers and use them for good. You were also an amazing mom, in all the normal regular mom ways. You let me have slumber parties and we’d go shoe shopping and dress shopping for dances and you’d make my lunch every day and slip an encouraging note in my lunchbox…”

Nora couldn’t let her daughter finish. She did all of that? She did all of that and then let herself get killed. Nora got up and ran out to the hallway, not letting the tears come until Ray and Tori couldn’t see her. She slid down the wall and buried her face in her hands. So much for being a good mom, she wouldn’t get to see her daughter go to prom, get married, have children of her own. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Ray.

“Go away. Everything about this, about why she’s here, everything is my fault.” She waved him off.

Ray crouched down to her eye level. “It’s not your fault, Nora. You didn’t kill us.”

Nora got to her feet. “Yes it is my fault. I may have not pulled the trigger but I sure as hell loaded the gun by having us be that vulnerable to the Order and because of that our daughter is growing up without her parents. I’m sorry I got you killed, have I mentioned that? Of the two of her parents who she shouldn’t have to live without you are definitely the parent in the number one spot. Dammit, Ray, how could I not protect our family?”

Ray grabbed Nora by the shoulders. “I don’t know what happens in the future that makes it to where the Order can get us but now that we know they do we can avoid it. I’ve been saying that from day one and so have you. Our daughter will go back to a future where she gets to grow up with us, I promise. None of this is your fault and don’t you dare say that you are somehow the expendable parent and I am not. She loves us both equally and was shaped by us equally. You are just as important to her as I am. We’re her parents, she see us as that unit..”

Nora sucked in a deep breath and let it out shakily, trying to calm herself down. “I don’t know if I can go back in there and face her. It hurts to much knowing the pain I caused…” Ray gave her a look. “Knowing what she’s been through…” She corrected. “But for the record, I looked through a bunch of our future family photos and we have an amazing life, Ray Palmer. That’s why I feel so much guilt about what happens to us. But I know that I won’t let it happen.”

xxxx

The alarm started going off and the Palmer family quickly dressed, Victoria had fabricated a long gray sweater with a mock turtleneck and black leggings and black ankle boots before they returned to bed the previous night. They all met up in the com center.

Sara gave them the rundown: “We somehow have an even bigger anachronism than Miss Palmer’s little stint in 2019. I suppose since we’re on our way to fixing that, time isn’t cementing as quickly as it was. Someone decided to prevent Jules Verne’s works like From the Earth to the Moon and Journey to the Center of the Earth from being translated into English which is slowly creating a domino effect across the world of not just science fiction and their works not being published…”

“But scientific advancements themselves not being made.” Ray finished.”We… we gotta fix this, Jules Verne wasn’t say as pivotal as George Lucas was to my wanting to be an inventor but people I looked up to, professors… colleagues, they did and they had inventions that inspired my inventions, and if I didn’t have that inspiration… who knows if would’ve developed the technology to make the ATOM suit.”

Sara pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay so in order to make sure nothing goes wrong with all of that…” She gestured to Ray’s freakout. “We need to go back in time and find out what stops someone named Anne Wilbur from translating ‘A Voyage in a Balloon’ into English. We’re heading to New York, 1852.”

Victoria jumped up and down with excitement. “I’ve always heard about these about these missions and now I’m gonna get to go on one!” She clapped her hands together.

Ray and Nora shared a look and Victoria immediately knew what it meant.

“Guys… come on, please?” She pouted.

The pout for the untrained and not yet dad Ray Palmer was too much, and so he caved. “Okay but you are either by my side or your mother’s side at all times, got it?”

Victoria nodded and they headed towards the fabricator for their costumes.

xxxx

“Wow, just wow. I never thought I’d get to be walking around in the era I’m named after!” Victoria walked down the cobblestone streets with her parents flanking her. They were headed to the office of John Sartain who employed Anne Wilbur, who had been the woman to translate Verne’s short story into English.

Nora looked at her daughter. “What do you mean?”

“Victoria. Victorian Era? You guys first met in Victorian London. I just always assumed that’s why you guys named me Victoria. It’s not a family name and Eleanor is mom’s middle so I figured you tried to make it something meaningful.”

Nora shrugged. “Yeah, I guess we must’ve. Even though I, at the time, was pretty much at the height of my Mallus so… I didn’t even think about him much less marry him.”

“Well if not that what else would you have named me?”

Both Palmer parents shrugged. “No idea. We both like Victoria so we’ll stick with that.”

“Hey so if you guys can stop discussing naming your kid you’re almost at Sartain’s office.” Sara said over the coms.

Ray nodded. “Okay so our cover is that, you Victoria, are a writer and if Sartain doesn’t find that interesting we’ll say to him we also speak French and somehow got our hands on another work of Verne’s to help translate.”

Victoria stopped them. “I think it should just be me. If I need backup I’ll let you guys know.”

“What?”

“Why would it take three of us if I’m the writer?”

“Good point but we don’t want you going in there alone,” Nora said.

Victoria smiled. “I appreciate that you guys want to protect me but I’ve been a vigilante for five years and was trained by four different Legends. I can handle myself. I’ve fought in Gotham and survived. I got this. I’ll let you know the second I need backup.”

“Okay. But you’re right the second you need backup you make sure you tell us,” Ray said.

“You got it.” Victoria nodded and disappeared into Sartain’s office.

Nora and Ray waited outside anxiously for their daughter. Nothing about this felt right but maybe everything was fine and it was just experiencing the panic of a parent for the first time, being thrown into parent panic for the first time.

Ray wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her curls. “She’s going to be fine. She’s right. We trained her then Sara and Ava trained her. She’s can more than handle this.”

“That all depends on what kills Anne Wilbur. What prevents her from…” Victoria came running out of Sartain’s office, looking completely panicked.

“We gotta go, now! Someone drugged up Sartain and I don’t think it was him.” As they fled they saw someone walking up the steps to Sartain’s office and Victoria went back for her.

“Hi, is your name Anne?”

“Yes…?”

“Okay, good, come with us!” Victoria dragged Anne behind her, the woman protesting and screaming.

“Be quiet! Your boss has… consumption and you can’t be in there! We are from the local hospital and we need to make sure you haven’t exposed.”

Anne quit running. “If that’s all that was, why in the world did you think something was chasing after us?”

“Ugh guys, cause I think something is…” Ray pointed back to the direction they just ran from and a werewolf stood at the end of the alleyway.

“Great. Werewolves.” Nora deadpanned.

xxxx

Taking Anne Wilbur onto the Waverider wasn’t their first idea but at least they got to see that by extending her life past that point seemed to begin restoring the timeline.

“So… someone turned John Sartain into a werewolf and he probably mauled Anne and with no one to translate Jules Verne’s work into English, he kind of falls off the face of the planet in popularity. Got it well anyone know how to stop a werewolf?”

Constantine and Nora exchange looks before John spoke, “other than a silver bullet? No idea. Maybe he hasn’t killed anyone yet. If a werewolf doesn’t make a kill before their first full moon is over, they are freed from their curse.”

“So all we have to do is make sure a rampant werewolf in New York City doesn’t kill anyone. Got it.” Sara seemed to very not much not have it. And was so done that this entire conflict existed. “Does anyone else remember the days when we just were after Vandal Savage? I miss those days.” The group, except Ray and Mick, all shared a look of confusion.

“Jules Verne’s work not being popularized in English speaking countries is going to be the least of your problems if you let a werewolf maul people or bite them and turn them into other werewolves,” Constantine explained.

“Looks like we’re going wolf hunting.”

“What about me?” The very panicked and very confused Anne Wilbur said.

“Oh right.” Sara held up the memory wiping flasher and then knocked Anne out cold.

xxxx

They returned to the Waverider some hours later with Sartain fully de-werewolf and the original werewolf who attempted to turn Sartain in their lockup.

Victoria was exhausted. The mission had been pretty inefficient, were they always like that? She collapsed on her cot, still in costume, when they got back to the room.

Nora laughed. “Tired over there, Tori?”

“Yes,” Victoria moaned. “Even though this is just a cot it feels much better than being on my feet in those heels.”

“Well we caught the bad guy so we did a good job! You deserve the sleep. Tomorrow we’ll help you get yours. What would be helpful though is actually telling us who you’re facing.”

Victoria sat up. “I hadn’t said yet?”

Nora furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“I’m fighting Grant Wilson, he goes by Deathstroke in my time.”


	3. Chapter 3

Victoria has opted for a training session with her aunt Sara which gave Nora and Ray the time to sit down and hash out everything that had happened for over the last two days.

Nora had went from thinking her father had cheated on her mother and she had had some revenge seeking sister out there when in reality her scared daughter from the future came back to run away from her problems. From fighting Deathstroke. She didn’t even want to possibly think about that. Right now she wanted to make sure she and Ray were okay.

“I know that I had apologized already for getting you killed but I wanted to say it again. I also wanted to ask how you were holding up given all the other information about our future that’s been revealed.”

“Like what?” He asked and titled his head.

“I know we’ve vaguely stated that kids are fine and we’ll have them one day but one day apparently is not only sooner than we think but a domino affect to having three more children after that.”

Ray shrugged. “I mean yeah I didn’t think I would expect us to have kids so soon and also not that many kids in less than five years but I’m not mad about it. I do kind of wonder what made us do that…”

“I guess we’re just fertile?” Nora cringed. That sounded way too clinical talking about them starting their family.

“Nora…”

Nora took a deep breath. “When I was younger and thought I’d have a normal childhood and normal adulthood, I thought about stuff like growing up and getting married and having a family. One day, someone on tv mentioned having four in four. I asked my mom what that meant and she told me. Now I stored that in the back of my mind until I had decided that was what I wanted. Then my mom was killed, then my dad, then I was a demon vessel for 20 years. But now, now as an adult who is happily married I realize we had never talked about kids. I know like I said, we both were open to having kids if we ever felt like it but apparently I talk you into more than feeling like it.”

Ray gently placed his hands on Nora’s shoulders. “We are totally fine. Plus of all of the things that I’ve learned about over the past two days finding out my wife and I have an amazing life and have four great kids is literally low on the list of overwhelming things and that’s because it’s good. It’s so good. How are you feeling about it? You’re the one that would be pregnant for pretty much four years straight.”

Nora shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to be a full time Legend at the same time but I would be okay with it. As long as you’re okay with it.”

“I am more than okay with it. I want a big happy family that seems to be split equally down the middle gender wise. No one has the opportunity to be left out.”

“Mmm thinking about your upbringing with Sydney, huh?”

“Yeah… and that makes me all the more excited and eager to look forward to what the near future will bring.”

Nora did the math in her head. “I guess near future is right. 2019 is almost over, you better get to work, Palmer.” She pulled him in for a kiss.

They stayed like that, kissing each other, savoring each other for the first time in days. They had to share a room with their grown up daughter from the future so that had made finding moments like these difficult.

“Hmm I do believe I have another few months of work ahead of me.” He smirked. “Though I don’t know how early or late your due date is so maybe Gideon can give us a better window.”

Nora shook her head. “I’m sorry but really don’t want the AI basically giving us a schedule for sex. That’s not romantic at all. We’ll just have to try every night. And that I am more than okay with. Plus I also want us to be in a house before our family starts expanding too much. Maybe we should start thinking about moving into your house… I mean our house… in Ivy Town, going down to part time with the Legends… after we get our daughter back to 2040 that is.”

“To try and beat Deathstroke…”

“Yeah I don’t even have the brainpower to try and deal with that.”

Ray nodded in agreement. “When we visited 2046 he had completely taken over Star City. It was not a good situation and we barely made it out of there alive.”

“So in 2040 he’s trying to conquer Central City first, what for? Because Team Arrow is still at large? So it would just be an easier target?”

Ray shrugged. “I’m not sure, I think that’s a question for our daughter.”

xxxx

They walked into the training room and found Tori and Sara in stick to stick combat. Tori matched Sara’s moves with precision, eventually catching her and disarming her.

“You fight good, kid, who taught you that?” Sara felt like she had the wind knocked out of her.

Tori helped her back up on her feet. “I was taught by the best, you!”

“Yeah I figured. It’s just nice to hear it.” They spotted Nora and Ray and Tori waved.

“I’d hug you guys but I’m all gross and sweaty!” She unwrapped the tape from her hand and dropped the wooden batons into the bin.

Nora waved her off. “That’s okay, can we talk to you really quick before you hop in the shower?”

“Sure, what’s up?” She started walking away, she turned around to Sara and air-fived her. “Thanks for the training session!”

“We… wanted to ask you more about Deathstroke. Why he’s in Central City, how you got wrapped up into it…”

Ray chimed in, “yeah see because a couple years ago the Legends and I went to the year 2046 and yes now thinking that my daughter existed just a city over really blows my mind and makes me sad but anyways, but without saying too much we ran into Grant Wilson, the Deathstroke you’re fighting. He was in Star City though, so what made him change his target?”

Tori shrugged her shoulders. “I really don’t have an answer for you, villains can change their cockamamie plans in six years. I just want him out of my city.”

Nora swallowed hard for a minute. Her city. Tori’s city was Central City because they died. If they made sure they stayed alive, she would never move in with Sara and Ava, never take up the mantel, never be the one to protect Central City from Deathstroke. Panic bubbled up in Nora’s chest and she took in a strangled breath.

She felt someone’s hand on her arm. Ray. She heard someone call her mom. Tori. She was seeing everything around her but she couldn’t process it beyond the visual. In order to protect Central City her and Ray _had to die_.

xxxx

Tori and Ray led her into their room and sat Nora down gently on the bed. She still was far removed from actually processing anything they were saying. She heard Ray, maybe, yell for Gideon to check her vitals and the first thing that she was finally able to hear with resounding clarity was:

“It would appear Mrs. Palmer is having a panic attack.”

She’d had them before, plenty of times. Whenever she first arrived on the Waverider she felt apprehensive around everyone, someone had a beef with her one way or another either because of her and her father or just her father. That eventually spiraled one day into her having a panic attack in the middle of the galley, in front of everyone, and running away to try and regulate her breathing elsewhere. She also had one the day of her wedding. Ray and Nora had written letters to one another, in an homage to the very beginning of their relationship: the letters they wrote while she was in time prison. His letter had been more than mushy and gushy and romantic and sent her in a complete tizzy. She started hyperventilating and was sure that she was not deserving of the love he had just poured out into that letter. He had made a mistake in choosing to marry her. It took him talking to her from around the door to eventually calm her down. There had been others over the course of her life, who wouldn’t get them if you were possessed by an ancient time demon?

This one felt different though. An elephant was weighing on her chest. Her own mortality. And her husband’s.

Ray crouched down in front of Nora and gently took her face in his hands. “Breathe. Breathe with me. Focus on me.”

Nora took in the first real deep breath she had felt capable of taking in minutes. She focused on the kind eyes of her husband and finally started to mentally connect with the world around her again. She hugged Ray tight and continued to expel her excess adrenaline through deep breaths. She lifted her head from Ray’s neck and focused in on her daughter, who shared her father’s same kind brown eyes and opened one of her arms for Tori to join the embrace.

Tori, who hadn’t seen her mother really ever deal with this stuff, had now seen it twice in the span of two days. It frightened her only because it hurt deep down inside that her mom had been through so much stuff and the ramifications were things like nightmares, panic attacks, and anxiety attacks. Tori, tears in her eyes, went over to her parents and hugged them both. She buried her face in her mom’s neck, afraid that they would all fall apart if any one of them let go.

Eventually, Nora pulled away and wiped her tears. “I think… I’m on my way to better. I can talk in full sentences. Thank you, both of you.”

“What happened?” Tori took her mother’s hand, the hug may have ended but she still needed physical contact to remind her that her mom would be okay.

Nora took a deep breath. “I realized that in order for someone to be protecting Central City, you, you need to live there and have a reason to take up the mantle. None of that would happen if we were alive. I’ve been agonizing over the last two days of our options for when we do get to that point in our lives and what we can do to escape the Order but then we you were talking I realized that in order to protect the greater good, I don’t think there’s another option other than us dying. It could have catastrophic results on the timeline. I broke time once for selfish reasons, I’m not doing it again.”

Tori processed through everything her mother had just said. It hit her deep in the gut that her mom would literally sacrifice them being a whole family again on the off chance it would protect the greater good. And normally she would agree, but she knew that her parents didn’t have all of the facts yet.

“Mom.”

“Tori.”

“Ray!” Ray said, feeling slightly left out.

“You guys… don’t have all of the facts…”

Nora shook her head. “We don’t?”

“No, you don’t. Okay here is possibly more than you ever wanted to know about your future… sometime before or after I’m born, I really don’t know, before I start retaining memories so that’s at like age three, you guys moved into dad’s childhood home in Ivy Town. I grew up in that place. Well… as you probably know, Ivy Town is boring as hell. Even though you had stepped away from the Legends, you still felt a sense of obligation to protect people. So you guys protected Central City. When Team Flash was doing whatever nonsense drama that they were up to, you guys would fill in the gaps. The ATOM and the Atomic Witch.”

Before Nora could ask, Tori jumped right back in. “You took up the mantle first. I took it over after you died. You guys were a duo. One of the best teams the world had ever seen.”

“Do you have any teammates back home?”

Tori shrugged. “I mean, so dad was telling that when you guys figured out who I was, Barry Allen mentioned that this had happened to him and Iris. It’s true. He and Iris eventually have a daughter named, ironically enough Nora West-Allen, after Barry’s late mother. Her codename was XS and we never really eye to eye. We didn’t exactly like saving the city the same way but I mean I have allies. Team Flash is technically still an ally and Aunt Sara and Aunt Ava will always support me which means that the Time Bureau supports me should I ever mess something up. Oddly enough, using grandpa’s Time Stone didn’t seem to really cause much of a fuss with them. Must’ve slipped under their radar.” Tori smirked. “I have a few other allies in other cities that I can call on if I need that help, which is rare but I have Huntress in Gotham and there’s still technology around for me to be able to contact Supergirl on Earth Thirty-Eight.”

“But… in changing the future, you don’t take up the mantle.” Nora argued. “How does that not still cause what I’m afraid it will cause?”

Tori shrugged. “I don’t know, I mean, I took it up to help cope with the pain of losing you guys, but you guys had been training me and who knows. I think that even if I took it up two years later at like eighteen I don’t think we’d be causing catastrophic blows to the timeline like you’re thinking and honestly? Even if I go back and I haven’t spent the last four years of my life a superhero, if you guys are still fighting the good fight instead, I think Central City is going to be just fine.”

Nora still couldn’t believe her daughter was right. “But there’s still the probability of us being alive and causing the actual destruction of Central City because of it.”

“Yeah and that actual mathematical probability is actually probably really small. Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen. I’m going to get you guys back and defeat Deathstroke. I’m the kid of two Legends. I might screw it up along the way, but I think I have a pretty good shot at winning.”

Ray sat there for a moment, taking in his daughter’s facts and his wife’s speculation. What would have made Deathstroke move from conquering Central City to Star City? They would’ve seen that he had also conquered Central City when they went to 2046 and yet, not mention of it.

“I think you do win. I think that’s why he moves on to Star City because he doesn’t want his ass completely handed to him by a 20 year old offspring of two Legends.”

Tori thought about it, touched at her father’s faith in her. It was good to hear it after five years of not. “But… what if we stopped him, completely. That way, he doesn’t hurt anyone, anymore. I would prefer to not see the destruction of Central City since I lived there for five years but Star City doesn’t deserve to go down in flames in exchange for my city thriving. I think I know how to stop him from even going forward and conquering Star City.”

xxxx

_The first thing Tori smelled when she woke up was bacon. The real bacon. That could only mean one thing. Her mom was making breakfast. She hopped out of bed in the room she shared with her sister Penny, the sides of the room nearly split down the middle. A ten year old obsessed with the latest boy band and their posters decorated Penny’s side of the room’s walls. Penny’s trundle bed allowed for Tori to have a full on the opposite side of the room. Tori’s rose colored bedding matched the cushioned headboard behind it. She put on a pair of fuzzy socks she had left next to her bed the night before and headed downstairs, leaving her sister to sleep in, so she would maybe get all the good pieces of bacon._

_She thundered down the stairs, passing by pictures of their family through the years starting with her parent’s wedding photo and all the way down to baby pictures of Penny._

_Tori smiled at her mom when she entered the kitchen._

_“Good morning, hon, how did you sleep?” Nora asked._

_Tori sat down at the table and watched her mom place a plate of delicious breakfast foods in front of her. Pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs with tons of cheese, a tall plate of toast sat in the middle of the table and Tori was suddenly famish._

_“Great, I feel even better now that I have this plate of delicious food in front of me.” Tori placed her hands over her heart as it swelled. “Thank you for making breakfast.”_

_“You mean, thank you for talking your father into letting me make breakfast? It took a lot of convincing!”_

_Tori smiled into her bite of pancakes. “I’m sure, thanks a bunch mom.” Tori looked above them when she heard feet shuffling. “Oh that must be Penny.” She heard rapid footsteps elsewhere. “There’s the boys.”_

_Two awkward looking teenage boys appeared, completely sleep deprived, no doubt up late tinkering with whatever robotics club project they had going. They high fived each other when they saw their mom had made breakfast and sat next to each other on one side of the table, diving into their breakfast immediately._

_“Where’s dad?” Tori asked and popped a blueberry into her mouth._

_“He had to head into work early, which is also why I got to make breakfast.” Nora grinned._

_Tori nodded and watched as a small brunette ball of fury stormed into the room. She smirked._

_“MOM! Tori didn’t wake me for breakfast!” Penny stomped into the room and begrudgingly took her place next to Tori at the table. Penny waved her hand over Tori’s plate when she glanced away and turned her food into worms._

_Tori looked back and screamed. “You little brat! I’m gonna get you!” She waved her hand and Penny’s hands became pig’s feet and Penny screamed for her mom._

_“Tori… Penny… I… when will you two learn to get along?”_

_“We do when Sydney and Danny annoy us!” Penny held out her now pig footed hands and Nora changed them back. Penny glared at her sister and collapsed back into the chair._

_Tori turned her plate back into food and glared back at Penny. “Make sure you double check your body wash next time you shower.”_

_“Victoria Eleanor Palmer, you will not mess with your sister’s body care products. None of them. That includes her shampoo and conditioner.” Nora sat down on the other side of Tori and dug into her food. “I can’t believe the things I have to say to you kids sometimes…”_

_Ray walked into the kitchen, “do I smell something unhealthy for breakfast? Good thing I already ate, I can just do the dishes.” Ray leaned down and kissed Nora softly then sat down at the table with his family._

_“I thought you had work.”_

_“Meeting ended early.”_

_‘_ We need to talk privately _.’ Ray sent her in her mind._

 _Nora chewed her bite of food slower than before and swallowed. She nodded at her husband. ‘_ After breakfast, I don’t want to scare the kids _.’_

_Nora and Ray had long since figured out how to use her magic to telepathically communicate. It was good for private discussions that they didn’t want to share and scare their children. Such as whatever they were going to talk about after breakfast._

_When the kids cleared the room, it left Nora and Ray to clean up. They stood at the sink washing and drying dishes. Well, Nora was up on the counter drying them._

_“What’s going on?” She finally asked._

_“A message came for me in the meeting. I had to cut it short and come home. I think we’re in danger.”_

_“Why?”_

_“What’s the other you doing right now in 2035?”_

_“Being released from the Order to gather intel about resurrecting my father…” Verbalizing it, Nora realized she didn’t like where this is going._

_Ray handed her a plate to dry. “And that means being out in public, going to universities, libraries, seedier parts of town, consulting warlocks and mystics all to make sure Damien Darhk comes back and you continue to be Mallus’s vessel.”_

_Nora set the plate she finished drying in her lap. “We have to run. My father’s time stone is under one of the loose boards in the girls’ room. We’ll just go somewhere in history, maybe find the Legends, ask them for their help, maybe we can go back to right after we left the Legends full time. We’d probably be welcome. It may be a little cramped with our four teenage children but we’ll make it work. They can maybe drop us off somewhere. We’ll stay wherever that is until I go back in time to Victorian London to resurrect my dad. That’s only like, what? Four years?”_

_“Nora…”_

_“Ray, what’s the alternative? Let them find us and hurt our family? I’m not going to let them do that.”_

_Ray finished the dishes and stepped between her legs. “I just don’t want us uprooting ourselves to make it worse. If suddenly the CEO of Palmer Tech goes missing and so does his family, it’s going to alert the Order that we are onto them and trying to enact a plan to disappear somewhere in time. They wouldn’t have you come after us obviously because letting your past self know you’re alive, demon-free, and have a family would not be conductive to their plan but they’d someone. I think we should call up Constantine, stay put, and just send the kids to Sara and Ava’s. If we can fight them off they may leave us alone. Finding you and disrupting your timeline is just as detrimental to our lives as it would be to their plans. If we can convince them of that they might leave us alone.”_

_“As someone who grew up in that cult, I really highly doubt that but I think you’re right. Let’s all call the kids out of school today and send them to Central City. You call the schools, I’ll call Sara and Ava.”_

_Ray nodded. “I’m on it.”_

_Nora picked up her phone and dialed up Sara._

_“Hey there, Mrs. Palmer, what can I do for you?”_

_“Sara… I need you and Ava to take the kids for a few days.”_

_There was murmuring in the background and then a portal opened up in their kitchen and Sara and Ava stepped through it._

_Nora glared at them. “What have I told you about using the time courier to come into my house. Without my permission?”_

_Sara shrugged. “This seemed urgent. And like a face to face conversation.” Sara glanced and saw Ray on the phone. “What’s going on?”_

_“I think the Order finally let me out. Past me. The me that would be like 32 now. Which means that we could run into her, which to the Order means we could mess up their plan. I think they’re gonna come after us, Sara, and I need you guys to take the kids and keep them safe.”_

_“While you guys do what? Try and defeat a death cult?”_

_Nora shrugged. “That or get them off our backs.”_

_Ava shook her head. “Wait a minute, the Bureau can take you guys anywhere in time, protect you guys from whatever you think is after you. You still have your father’s time stone as well I’m assuming. Why don’t you just use it?”_

_“That was the original plan but Ray made a good point. I’m not going to uproot my kids because of my past mistakes coming back to haunt me. This is my fight, not theirs, and I don’t want their lives disrupted for more than a few days because of it. We’re gonna get in contact with Constantine and see what can be magically done to protect ourselves for the next four years from the Order. After that I go back to 2017 and the rest is history. We should be safe after that.”_

_Ray came in and waved at the pair of blondes. “Oh hey guys! I thought you were just gonna call them. Did you tell them what’s going on?”_

_“Yes, and we still don’t know why you don’t just take the time stone and disappear in time for a few years or jump ahead four years and then your problem is solved,” Ava said._

_Nora pinched the bridge of her nose. “You guys don’t have kids so I’m not really sure how to explain this to you in a way that will make sense but I am not displacing my children in time for that long. I’m just not. This is my past, not theirs that is coming to get us. Protecting them is the highest priority and they’ll be safest with you guys.”_

_Sara, who still wasn’t sure about this plan. “Sure. Right. You guys are the parents. We are the godparents. We will take them to Central City and just contact us when it’s safe.”_

_“Thanks guys. We really appreciate your support all these years,” Nora said._

_“That what families do.”_

xxxx

Later that evening, a freshly showered Tori sat in the Cargo Bay, trying to find some peace and quiet away from the team, away from her parents, away from even Gideon to try and think. She had sounded so sure of herself, saying she knew how to defeat Deathstroke once and for all, but now she wasn’t. The cost was high. Higher than any price she had to pay as vigilante.

“Knock, knock.” She looked up to see her day knocking on the wall next to the open cargo bay door. She shook her head, remembering how he’d always enter her room by physically and verbally knocking.

“Hey.” She smiled. “I thought this was maybe the one place no one could find me.”

Ray took a seat next to her atop a large container. “Nah, you mom comes in here to think over stuff when our missions get messy.”

“It seems as though I can’t seem to get away with anything with you guys.”

“And we haven’t even actually had you yet, I feel like an accomplishment.” Ray chuckled. “What’s on your mind, Tor?”

She looked away and took in a deep breath. “Thinking about what I’ll have to do when I get back to Central City. What it’ll have to take to defeat Deathstroke. Regardless if I go back to a timeline where you guys are alive.”

“What do you think you have to do? Remember, you just drive him out of Central City, you don’t have to defeat him. Team Arrow defeats him in six years.”

“He can do a lot of damage in six years and do it to Central City and I don’t want to be responsible for that, just because I took the easy way out and just got him out of my city.” Tori looked over at her dad. “If I’m going to stop him, really stop him, I have to trap him in an astral plane. I’ve never done it before but it would stop him. He’s mortal so he wouldn’t be able to figure out a way out.”

“Do you even know how to do that?”

“No but I talked to Constantine about it before I left and then for a minute the thought of just driving him out would be the best option but I can’t live with just delaying his defeat if I could possibly do it now. I mean when I go back to 2040.”

Ray placed a hand on her shoulder. “Have you talked to your mom about it? Maybe she knows, or even talk to Constantine now.”

Tori shrugged. “I haven’t. I’m pretty used to figuring out complicated magical stuff on my own. I have the for the past five years.”

Ray shook his head. “You may have ran away to 2019 to escape your problems but I still think we found you for a reason. And not to fix an anachronism but to help you. We’re your family, Tor, that’s what family does.”

“You guys would always say that. It was like our motto or something.” Tori kicked her legs and gave him a small smile.

“Yeah well it’s because it’s the truth. You have us, for the first time in five years. And you’re going up against a threat that you can only defeat using magic. We are so proud of everything you accomplished and we’re sorry the future us aren’t there to see it and we’re working on fixing that but I think you need to take advantage of this, Tori. I think your mom could really help. She might not be able to be there when you go back to 2040 but she can help you be prepared so that when you do go back, Deathstroke won’t know what hit him.”

Tori nodded. “Mom was right, it’s good to hear one a Ray Palmer hope speech once every five years. I’ll talk to her and Constantine about the astral plane stuff. Thanks, dad. You’re the best.” She pulled her dad in for a tight hug, not sure when she’d get the opportunity to next.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BEEBO DAY!
> 
> We've reached the end everyone! Thank you so much for your kudos and comments and support! Big thanks to soph and beth, my golden girls, for encouraging me, yelling about headcanons with me, and supporting me as I wrote this fic. I will hopefully be starting a oneshot collection set in this universe that I'll write in whenever I get the inspiration. I'll also be starting one for my fake marriage au in case any of you followed that fic as well. I'll be uploading a short epilogue soon, probably today or tomorrow so keep your eye out! Thanks again! Feel free to drop a comment if you enjoyed it!

When Tori had left the cargo bay with her dad, they found Nora and asked if she would track down Constantine with them. They found him in the library, meditating, clothed this time.

“John,” Nora called.

“John….”

“JOHN!”

John had been hovering in the air while he was meditating and upon being brought out abruptly, he fell down. “What in the bloody hell do you lot want?”

“That’s actually a great question, Tori what did you want to ask me and John about?”

“I was wondering if you guys could teach me everything you know about the astral plane. Long story short, it’s the only way I can defeat Deathstroke, by sending him to the astral plane.”  
Nora’s mouth hung agape. Of all the plans she thought her daughter may have, she didn’t think that this one would be so drastic, costly, and so possibly dangerous in terms of Tori losing her powers or losing control of them.

Constantine brushed himself off. “I can teach you all you want about the astral plane, except how to bloody well open it.”

Tori turned her attention to her mother. “Do you know how to open a portal to the astral plane? If Uncle John can teach me how to keep Deathstroke there, you can help me figure out how to open and close it safely.”

“What’s this Uncle John business? I’m not related to either of your parents, why are you calling me that?”

“Because you and the other Legends all were around when I was growing up. You guys might not be blood but you’re family.”

“I must’ve gotten soft in my older age.” John rubbed the back of his head.

Tori shrugged. “You were there to help fill in the gaps when I’d learn something new and didn’t know how to control it after my mom died. I don’t think I would be as powerful and in control of my powers as I am if it weren’t for your tutelage.”

John was quiet for a minute, knowing he couldn’t really argue with what his “niece” was saying he would do. He placed his hands on his hips and sighed. “Okay, I’ll teach you all you want to know about the astral plane but you limit that “Uncle John” business. I sound like a bloody Robin Hood character.”

Tori held up her hands in defense. “Okay, okay, _Uncle John_.” She watched him glare. “Okay, last one I promise.”

xxxx

Nora had excused herself shortly after Ray when Tori and John got started on the researched about astral planes. She couldn’t believe her daughter thought the only solution was something so incredibly reckless. Tori could lose her powers, could lose her life, could lose control of her powers. Had she not considered these things before coming up with this cockamamie plan?

Tori found her mom also back at her room when she jogged to meet her. “Hey!”

Nora turned around, arms wrapped around herself. “Hey…” She replied quietly.

“Uncle John needed to track down a book from his personal belongings so I stepped away, are you okay? You seemed a bit put off by my plan?”

“What? No, not at all…”

“Okay, mom, word on the street is that you used to be a really good liar and honestly you were really good at it when it came to like our birthday and Christmas presents but I think the longer you’ve been married to dad, you’ve gotten worse overall. What’s bothering you?”

So much like her father, Nora thought, always trying to break down her walls. Nora shook her head. “Have you even looked into what could happen if you don’t do this right? You could die or lose your powers or lose control of your powers which could cost the lives of others. It takes a powerful witch to even be able to contact the astral plane mush less open a portal to it. Why do you think this is your only option?”

Tori was quiet, she had in fact looked up every last possible outcome that could happen if things went south with her plan. There was only one way it worked and hundreds of ways it couldn’t that would end in disaster. She stared at her shoes for a minute and kicked the ground gently. “I have and honestly, part of why I came back here is because of all the ways it could go south. It scared me. I already had lost you and dad and I didn’t want to put Penny or Danny or Syd in the crossfire or any of your wonderful friends that are aunts and uncles to me in harm’s way. I didn’t want to hurt the innocent bystander, just at the wrong place at the wrong time in Central City, that’s what happened with dad’s first fiance, Anna.

She was at the wrong place at the wrong time and I am not going to be responsible for being the reason a Deathstroke took someone else’s fiancee away. I know that the trajectory that created for dad eventually led him to you and for my sheer existence, I’m thankful that’s how stuff turned out but not everyone is dad and not everyone would gather that grief and create purpose out of it. Not everyone is going to grieve and turn around and become a superhero because of it and for that reason I’m not going to be responsible. That’s why I took his advice about asking you guys now. Yeah technically, you might be twenty years behind the times but Uncle John, this Uncle John is already telling me stuff I didn’t know when I had talked to the him in 2040. This John has looked at this stuff more recently than my uncle john has and for that reason can be more helpful, more useful, to making sure I get this right. The price is so high here if it goes wrong, and I need all the information I can get to make sure I’m still doing the right thing. And I need you to help me learn how to open a portal to the astral plane. I don’t have you to ask in 2040 even if you’re trying to fix that, John in the future and in the present don’t know how to open an astral plane but you do. Please help me.”

Her daughter made a lot of good points, but something deep in Nora’s gut wanted to discourage her from doing this. Maybe it was a maternal instinct coming out that she didn’t know how to recognize because she wasn’t even supposed to be a mom yet. Maybe it was just a witchly sense to warn a fellow practitioner of the craft that this was too dangerous, even if she wasn’t her daughter. Maybe it was Nora trying to protect herself from the pain, knowing if she helped her daughter, and it went south, she would be responsible for the death of her own child and no amount of making sure she was alive after 2035 would bring Tori back instead. If she made it so she were alive in 2040, she would only turn around and see her daughter be killed if she let her do this.

The thought was nearly unbearable.

“I’m sorry, I can’t…”

xxxx

Ray found Nora in the cargo bay much like how he had found their daughter only hours before.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not exactly.” She turned her head to look at him and gave him a sad smile.

Ray sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arm. “Okay.”

“The plan she’s thinking of doing is the most dangerous plan she could’ve possibly concocted. It’s reckless and she could lose her powers or worse her life. I’m not going to be responsible for the death of my own child.” Nora got up from her place on the container. “If I could swap places with her I would, I at least know how to open the portal, but I still think even then it’s too dangerous. It’s better if two practitioners are attempting to open the portal, one to open and close, the other to make sure whatever they’re putting inside stays there before it can be shut again.”

“Then go with her,” Ray offered. “We can take the Waverider and she will have all of the backup that she needs.”

Nora shook her head. “No, no way, I am not risking the lives of the team just to go on some suicide mission to help carry out a plan of our daughter who doesn’t even exist yet.”

“I’m right here,” Tori said from the entrance to the cargo bay. “After all of the time we’ve spent together that’s a pretty bullshit reason to not help me, mom. What, are you just going to decide to not have me so you can make this little problem go away. Fine. I’ll ask uncle John about what he knows about astral planes and figure the rest out myself and I’ll be going. I got my own ride anyways.” She pulled the time stone from her jacket pocket.

“Victoria, wait.” Nora wanted to go after her but Ray kept her back.

“Let her cool off. We should head to our room, because what was that about?”

Nora didn’t say a word for the rest of the walk back to their room.

xxxx

When they got back, Ray shut the door behind them and crossed his arms. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? Ever since we found out she’s our daughter you have loved her unconditionally just like a mother would and now because she’s got this idea in her head that could work if she’s train properly suddenly you don’t want to help because doesn’t exist yet anyways. I don’t know about you but that doesn’t sound like you anymore. The woman that would’ve said those things died with Mallus. What’s really going on, Nora?”

Nora wiped a tear from her cheek and pulled her lips in. She finally exhaled a shaky breath and sat down on the bed. “I’m scared that I’m going to not train her well enough and just get her killed. I’m going to carry that guilt with me for the rest of my life especially if we figure out a way to not die in 2035. I remember what living through the time she’s growing up in. It’s a little bleaker than now, it’s about as Zari described it, and I’m scared that by going back to a time I’m supposed to be existing in, I’ll get stuck and not be able to return. I left in 2039 to go resurrect my dad and that’s been about a year. I don’t want all of this to all be in vain either because of some stupid law of time.”

“If you get stuck there we’ll stay there and make a life together. I don’t care when or where we are, as long as we’re together. And if that means making a life for us in 2040 then that’s okay.” Ray cupped her cheeks and kissed the crown of her head. “I do think you need to give training Tori a shot. She’s more powerful than I think we give her credit for. You could at least try. After you apologize that is because I could tell the second you said it, you didn’t mean it, Nora. You love our daughter and can’t wait for her to be here with us in our own time.”

Nora nodded and rested her head on his chest. “I know. I feel awful. I’ll go apologize. I don’t want her running back off to 2040 unprepared and pissed at me.” She leaned up and kissed him. “Thank you, you always know what to say. I and our future family literally won the lottery by having you as a part of it.” She caressed his cheek before leaving the embrace to find their daughter.

xxxx

Nora found Tori in the training room, using her fists instead of her magic to train. Probably to blow off steam from the awful thing Nora said. That combined with her unwillingness to help her in the first place, Tori Palmer was probably burning with anger. And Nora couldn’t blame her.

“If you widen your stance you wouldn’t lose your balance like that after you’ve come in swinging.”

“So the only time you’ve decided to give me advice was in a fighting style you’re not even familiar with?” Tori said without even looking over at Nora, and continued to swing at the punching bag.

Nora walked over to her daughter and tapped her on the shoulder. Tori came around swinging and Nora caught her fist. No magic needed. “I came to apologize, no need to punch your own mother.”

“If I don’t exist yet you’re not technically my mom yet.”

Nora gave Tori a look. “Okay… I deserved that. And I’m sorry for what I said. I just got scared… what you’re wanting to do is really dangerous and if I somehow make sure your dad and I are alive only to see you die if it goes south, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself…”

Tori placed her hands on her mother’s shoulders and shook them gently. “That’s why I asked you to help me figure it out.”

Nora nodded quietly. The overwhelming thought of losing her daughter just as her daughter would be getting her and Ray back caused her to let out a shaky breath. Tears gathered in her eyes without spilling over. “I just… I don’t want to lose you. Are you sure there’s not another way?”

“Not that I’ve found.” She shrugged. “I really need you, mom. Teaching me will give me my best shot.”

Nora wiped a tear from her eye. “Okay. I’ll teach you.”

xxxx

They had been practicing for hours. Tori just couldn’t seem to get the hang of it. Nora recommended that they take a break, get something from the galley, relax, whatever she felt necessary. Tori figured when her mom disappeared in the direction of the lab she knew she was probably going to see her dad. Tori made her way towards the galley, needed a cold bottle of water and a big dose of protein.

When she entered the galley, her aunt Sara was in there eating lunch. She grinned when she saw her and went to the food fabricator first to get the water and a protein filled salad. She took a seat across from Sara at the table and dove into her salad.

“John said you convinced your mom to help you with the astral plane stuff.”

Tori nodded and dug into her salad. “It was a bit rocky at first but after we worked through some… issues… she agreed. Now as long as I can successfully do what she’s teaching me, I can go back to Central City and ensure everyone will be a lot safer than before I left.”

“Well as an apparent future resident of Central City, thanks.” Sara took a swig of her water bottle. “So, I’ve been dying to ask, it’s you, your siblings and me and your Aunt Ava? All under one roof? How have we not all killed each other?”

Tori chuckled. “I got an apartment more in the city about a year ago but yeah it was all of us for a really long time. Plus Beebo.”

Sara almost choked on her water. “What? Beebo?”

“Our mastiff. You got him for us for Christmas the December after my parents died. He’s a good dog. Huge and fluffy, but a big softy and really helped us through some sad times.”

“And whose idea was it to name the dog Beebo?”

“My little sister Penny’s, the youngest Palmer and the other girl.”

Sara nodded. “Right… I’ll make sure to keep you guys all straight once your parents actually have you guys.”

“Sounds good. You guys, circumstances aside, did an awesome job stepping in and raising us by the way. I felt like I needed to shoulder a lot of the responsibility since I was the oldest but you guys really helped me to feel less like a burden who needed to take on all of that responsibility and more just like a daughter again. Because of that I was able to have a life and friends and relationships. So really, thank you,” Tori reached across the table and took Sara’s hand.

Sara squeezed Tori’s hand. “I mean… I didn’t technically do all of that yet but I know that if I had to I would, without question. Your mom and I may have gotten off to an interesting start but we’ve become friends and trusted allies and your dad has always been there for me, for everyone. The Legends will always be like a family no matter who is with us full time or not and if people needed to step in and help once they were gone, it’s only natural that we would in a heartbeat.”

“I know, but you and Aunt Ava did in particular so I just wanted to say thanks.”

“You’re welcome… and you said… friends _and_ relationships? Is there someone back in Central City you want to get home to?”

Tori blushed. “Maybe…”

“What’s their name?”

“His name is Adam… he umm… he works for Palmer Tech umm that’s how we met… I started working there when I was eighteen and he was this dorky intern who was so smart and so cute. And he found out my secret when I saved Palmer Tech from collapsing. He’s the only one outside my extended family that knows.”

“How long have you two been dating?”

“That,” she started laughing, “took a lot longer. I was so closed off after my parents died and was happy to just punch bad guys for the rest of my life, not even think about romance, my parents had a fairytale, how could anything I have compare? They had the one great love story, I’ve seen their letters. My mom held back so much and I knew I got that from her but my dad adored her. I didn’t think any men like that were left.”

“Until Adam,” said Sara.

Tori nodded. “Yeah. I had spent the last few years in pain, just numb pain and putting any affection into my siblings because I wasn’t going to emotionally check out on them but he was persistent. Not in a problematic way but he, like my dad with my mom, saw past the hard exterior I fronted. I ended up on his doorstep in the rain after spending the day crying in a bar about my parents and he was just there. He was such a rock for me. I knew that no matter what, especially since he knew my secret, he would be there for me to comfort me and give me all the dose of normalcy that I craved after being the Atomic Witch for so long. I didn’t go to college, I fought bad guys. It was nice to go on a picnic or ice skating or get coffee with someone. I need to get back there because if there’s going to be any sort of future for us, I want to make sure it survives.”

“Do you think that if you go back to a timeline where your parents are still alive that will change a lot between you guys?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about that, he wore his heart on his sleeve. He respected that I wasn’t ready but he also was sure about us way before I was. I think if they’re alive my heart will open up a lot sooner to him. He would’ve worked there regardless and I probably would have work there part time if I go back and suddenly I’m like in college or something.” She laughed. “I think changing the timeline can be big and scary but when something’s just right, it always has a way of working out.”

“I’ll drink to that.” They clinked their water bottles together.

Nora stood outside the galley, she originally was coming to join her daughter in grabbing a quick bite but she realized she was overhearing a private conversation between Tori and her aunt. About a boyfriend.

xxxx

Nora wasn’t sure if she could sit on the information she overheard for very long. She wasn’t sure Ray could take the news but she had to ask Tori about it before she combusted.  
Ray was working on something in his lab still so Nora returned to their room and Tori came in a few minutes after her. She smiled at her mom and pulled out a Palmer Tech sweatshirt that was her dad’s, slipping it on and sitting across from her mom on the bed.

“How much did you hear?”

“What?” Nora asked and looked up from her book.

“I said how much did you hear of Aunt Sara and I’s conversation?”

Nora put down the book. “Pretty much all of it.”

“So you heard about…”

“Adam, yes.”

“We haven’t been seeing each other for very long which is mostly my fault.”

Nora smiled. “I held back from letting myself feel what I wanted to about your dad for a really long time. There were days where I wanted to write him a letter and confess everything but I was scared that I somehow had misread what in retrospect are giant neon signs of affection from your father. I was worried that he was just being nice and knew I didn’t have anything but didn’t want to actually be with me.”

“Oh mom, seriously?”

“Oh yeah absolutely. I didn’t want to see how in love he was with me because I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was in love with him.”

Tori laughed. “That sounds disturbingly familiar.”

“You’re your mother’s daughter.”

Tori hugged her mom tight. “I’m glad I am.” She pulled away some.

Nora cupped her face. “But along with your father’s kind eyes you have his kind heart. You always want to see the best in people and love them no matter what. You got that from him through and through.”

Tori smiled. “I take pride in literally anything you say I got from either of you. I miss you guys, I know you’re going to try your best to make sure I go back to a timeline where you’re alive but, if I don’t, I don’t think I’m ever going to forget this last week. I got to have you guys back and it feels so good to know you guys love and support me no matter what timeline we’re in.”

“Of course we do! We’re your parents. That’s what families do.” She kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “Now, do you have a picture of this boy? Adam?”

Tori pulled away and pulled out her phone, she flipped through until she presented a picture on her phone.

Nora took the phone and saw a picture of a man about Tori’s age, maybe a little bit older making a scrunched up but happy face as Tori kissed his cheek. They looked so happy. She handed the phone back to her daughter and nodded. “You look happy.”

“Yeah… we are… I may be making that boy go at the speed of molasses but he’s never been so happy to take things slow. He loves me. He really does.”

“Good, because you know that when you go back and we’re alive we are so grilling him.”

“Mom, no don’t, oh my gosh no please.” She laughed. “I know Adam won’t know the difference but I will.”

“You don’t have a choice, I have already made up my mind.”

“You are the worst oh my gosh! But I love you for it, mom.” She hugged her mom again. “Are you ready to pick back up with my training?”

Nora nodded. “Let’s go, daughter of mine.”

xxxx

After another two days of training with both John and Nora and Tori was standing on the bridge of the Waverider with the Legends, ready to go home, back to 2040. Nora had been trying to push down every last emotion she could about her daughter leaving. She wouldn’t see this Tori for another twenty years or so.

Tori said her goodbyes to everyone, making the rounds to every Legend, she remembered who these people will become and how special they are to her made the goodbyes so much sweeter. She finally stopped at her parents. Her mom was on the verge of tears and her dad was just letting the tears flow freely. She missed them and she hoped when she got back she wouldn’t have to miss them like she had anymore.

Nora hugged her first, one hand on the back of Tori’s head and the other wrapping around her. She pulled away and looked in Tori’s eyes. “I’m gonna miss you but I’ll be seeing you soon I guess. You take care of yourself, I love you, baby girl.” She kissed the top of Tori’s head. Tori pulled her mom in for one more hug.

“I love you too, mom.” She pulled away finally and her dad immediately pulled her into a tight hug. She held on tight, her dad always gave the best hugs. Hugs after scraping her knee or telling him about being made fun of at school or Sydney and Daniel ganging up on her all flashed before her eyes and she held on just a little tighter because of it.

“If you think you need us when you get back to 2040 you contact us okay?”

Tori nodded. “I promise.” She pulled back a little to look at her dad. “I feel so well prepared to go back and fight him, all thanks to you guys. All of you.” She looked around at the people who would be her future family too. “I’ll be seeing you guys soon.” She pulled away from her parents and pulled out the time stone. Before she could call on the moment she wanted to return to, Nora placed a hand over hers. “What?”

Nora smiled and settled into Ray’s side. “We were wondering if we could take you in the jumpship and drop you off ourselves?”

Tori grinned and threw her arms around both of her parents. “I would love that.”

xxxx

Ray settled the jump ship and cloaked it just above the familiar Ivy Town street, they were originally going to go to Central City but they decided to see if a certain hunch of theirs was right. Tori looked at her parents and hugged them both one last time before disembarking the jumpship.

Nora watched her daughter spot the cars in the driveway, that seemed to indicate a positive change because she started booking it towards the front door. She watched Tori find the spare key but before she could use it, the door opened and an older version of Nora appeared on the other side. She watched Tori throw her arms around her mom and looked at Ray. They had done it. Whatever they were going to figure out in the near future they had done it. Tori had her parents back.

“Let’s go home.” She settled next to Ray and rested her head on his shoulder.

xxxx

Nora and Ray entered their bedroom, it felt… odd, walking in and not seeing any of Tori’s belongings or clothes or the cot. She picked up the Palmer Tech sweatshirt her daughter had thrown on the bed before she left and breathe in the scent. It smelled like her daughter now rather than Ray. Tori had lived in it whenever she was just lounging around the ship. She already missed her daughter so much.

Ray sat down on the bed and sighed. “There goes our daughter, off to save the world. I miss her already.”

Nora nodded and placed her hands on Ray’s shoulders and stepped between his legs. “Me too, she was amazing, is amazing, will be amazing. Time travel makes using tenses hard.”

Ray chuckled. “Yeah, but I mean we’ll meet her in about…”

“Nine months.” Nora bit her lip, hoping Ray would understand.

Ray looked up at her. “Wait what? But Caitlin said…”

“She caught me before we went back to the Waverider that night, she told me that she didn’t want to out a secret that wasn’t hers to tell.”

“Nora… are you serious?”

She nodded. “I am, I’m pregnant, Ray.”

Ray pulled her into his lap and kissed her, hard. Joy overwhelmed him. This woman was having his baby.

Ray placed a hand on her stomach and Nora placed her hand on top of his. “It won’t be long before we get to meet her all over again, I suppose.”

“You’re amazing, you know that, right?”

“I wouldn’t be half as amazing if it weren’t for you.” She cupped his face and kissed him sweetly. “I love you.”

“I love you too, and our little Tori.” He rubbed her stomach affectionately. “So… there was something I noticed when we dropped Tori off that I wanted to ask you about…”

“What’s that?” Nora asked and played with the hair at the nape of Ray’s neck.

“The backyard of my house, our future house, is actually pretty big. I’m gonna love that our kids will get to run around back there and play but I was wondering…”

“We are not getting a dog.” She shook her head, smiling at his boyish request.

“Please.” He pouted.

Nora had a hard time resisting his pout and sad eyes. “Fine. One day we will get a dog. And yes you can name him Chewie.”


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the epilogue! *sad face* I can't believe we've made it here but thank each and every one of you for your support.

It was good to be home. Her old room, her sister’s weird interests still adorned one half of it. She must not have moved out yet. She knew she still had an enemy to defeat but it could wait until after she had a Palmer family dinner for the first time in five years.

Tori finished getting ready and bounded down the stairs, ready to help her mom with anything she could. Penny was setting the table and she came up beside her mom and stirred the chili. “Dad’s famous chili, wow I’m… starving…” she wasn’t sure if this version of her mom remembered her coming to the past so it was better to not mention anything.

Nora smiled. “Oh yeah, eating fabricated Waverider food for a week will do that to you.”

Tori sheepishly smiled. So she did remembered. “I haven’t had this in five years. I’m so excited!”

Nora squeezed her daughter’s arm comfortingly. “Well, I’m excited you’re back, safe and sound.”

Tori walked over to the table and noticed seven place settings. She did the math to make sure that she still had only three siblings and she confirmed she did and looked at her mom. “Who's the seventh place setting for?”

Nora smirked. “I think you know.”

The doorbell rang and Tori smiled as the realization hit her. She watched the door open and Adam step inside. Tori threw her arms around him and kissed him. It had been too long since she’d seen him.

Adam Hughes hadn’t seen his girlfriend in a week. Tori's mom had said she was on some mission and while he worried about her safety and that he couldn’t contact her, he knew that she knew what she was doing. He hugged her back and returned her kiss.

“You’re back!” He exclaimed.

“I am! I’m so happy to see you!” She ran her hands up and down his arms. They were still together. He was still here in this new timeline. She had everything now. Tears gathered in Tori’s eyes and Adam reached up to wipe them away.

“Hey now what are these tears for?”

“Just… happy to be home.” She helped him out of his jacket and took his hand. She led him into the kitchen and saw her dad come in from the garage area. He looked like he’d been working on something before dinner but she didn’t care how grease covered he was. Her dad was back. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

“Hey there, you’re back…” he gave her a knowing smiled. He must still remember too.

“I am. I’m so happy to be back. I missed you, dad!” She hugged him again.

“Well I never turn down a hug.” Ray kissed the top of his daughter’s head.

They broke apart once Nora ordered Ray to go hop in a quick shower and change and Tori helped her mom with dinner while she, Adam, and Nora all mingled in the kitchen. When Ray was back, they started calling for the rest of the Palmer children who came from all different directions of the house. Sydney, Daniel, and Penny seemed to have no idea of the changed timeline and she couldn’t be happier. She hugged each of them, all somehow thinking she’d just been on a reconnaissance mission about Deathstroke which was partially true.

Soon they were all gathering around the table, plates full of delicious food. Nora and Ray each sat at one end of the table and Tori sat next to her mother with Adam on her other side, an arm around her shoulders. Sydney and Daniel sat on both sides of their dad and Penelope was sitting on the other side of Nora.

As the family all dug in, Tori heard the jingle of keys and realized they were actually dog tags. A big fluffy brown dog trotted in and penny beckoned him over. Her mother warned her not to feed any of the food to Chewie and Tori almost starting crying and laughing at the same time. Chewie. They had a dog named Chewie. Surely her dad has spearheaded that.

Tori felt her mom touch her arm and she squeezed the hand that rested there. Tori was finally _home_.


End file.
